Typhoon Shanshan has triggered landslides and floods in Japan's Greater Tokyo Area, causing casualties and disrupting public facilities.
The area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring prefectures, has been battered by strong winds and heavy rains since the typhoon made landfall Thursday on Japan's southwestern areas.
So far, the storm has killed six lives and injured 110 in total, with one person still missing.
In the area's Kanagawa Prefecture, many trees were uprooted and mud on the road has blocked it due to a landslide occurred on Friday morning. Two cars trapped in the incident had their drivers escape without injuries. The road remains closed as continuous rain hinders cleanup efforts.
Some areas of the prefecture have received over 400mm of rain, causing rivers to overflow and flooding houses and roads. Almost the entire prefecture has been warned with evacuation advisories.
"It was horrible. When I went out to take out the trash at around 08:00 this morning, I saw the river overflowed so badly that this whole area was flooded," said a local resident.
River water also flooded parking areas in a nearby neighborhood, soaking about 20 cars up to their middle.
Residents in this neighborhood said that their cars were damaged and inoperable.
"I left the window open. I thought, crap! Then I came over and saw the car was flooded and couldn't start at all. I called the insurance company, but they said there was no tow truck at the moment, and if the window just kept open, the rain water would get inside again. So, I had to seal them up," said a local.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that due to ongoing heavy rain, many areas in Japan are still at risk of flooding and secondary disasters until Saturday. In terms of transportation, there have been significant delays in both domestic and international flights in Japan. On Friday, a total of 28 flights between China and Japan have been canceled.
Local residents said that the Meguro River's water level has risen by approximately one meter due to heavy rainfall.
"This is the first time I saw a typhoon sweeping across all of Japan. Typhoons are supposed to go north from Okinawa. So, I didn't expect it to be like this. I'm very surprised. I hope the typhoon will leave soon. The Shinkansen has stopped, and so have many trains," said another local. According to local media, since the early morning of Friday, the area has issued a flood alert for several rivers including Nogawa and Meguro River that flow through Tokyo, with some parks near Tamagawa being submerged by river water.
Japanese meteorological department anticipates that Typhoon Shanshan will gradually move eastward, approaching the eastern region of Japan. Given the slow movement and broad predicted path of the typhoon, the impact is likely to be long.
Typhoon Shanshan trigger landslides, floods in Japan's greater Tokyo area
Typhoon Shanshan trigger landslides, floods in Japan's greater Tokyo area
